Newcastle, Wamberal, Oxford Falls.
So we made it into Sydney today. Getting here from Newcastle has taken 4 days. We left Newcastle in a huge thunder storm. This was Angie's first rain ride. Luckily the traffic was only slightly sketchy and she takled the heavy rain without issue. Newcastle town and the waterfront are very British. It was almost like riding down the front of Rhyl or Prestatyn and with the weather being wet and windy it was no different to North Wales. Our host just outside Newcastle were Kedan and Katherine, their two dogs and one baby. They run their own business from home making bags for bikes. No part of it is sub contracted out. They bring the material in and design and stitch the bags to completion. They handle the shipping and have orders worldwide. Very inspiring. The meal they made was Chinese with Pavlova pudding.
Our next host in Wamberal was for two nights and were Rod and Deb. Deb is an expat who lived a while in Shrewsbury so it was easy talking about home as she was one host who actually knew our city. The view they have in their house of the ocean is truly stunning and up there with the best I have seen while on tour. We had a go at boogie boarding again and I tried surfing. I may look like Kelly Slater (Rod's words not mine) but I don't surf like him. For dinner they made kangaroo steaks with three different salads. The salad with watermelon in was off the chart. For the second day we hung around the beach, as you do then Angela made pasta bake for dinner. I cut the sausage and poured the wine.
Rod and Deb's house was in a beautiful area with a view of the lagoon and close to the beach. Their kitchen and bedrooms looked out over the ocean and caught the sunrise each morning. No wonder people rise early in Australia with views like these greeting them.
Our new host now is Scott and Helen and we are just 6 miles from Sydney. This is a rural area and to get into the city you have to cycle into Manly and catch a ferry over the bay with its stunning view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera house. Before we left I cycled down to Manley to meet up with a fellow cyclist that I had met in Washington State on night at a camp ground. It was really good to see Erica again and hear how she is doing well and loving having a year long working visa.
The bay area of Sydney is spectacular, it's on quire a hilly peninsular so each area is stacked up along the horizon. Dinner at Scott's and Helen's is a big affair as Helen is in catering and knows how to spoil her guests. Kangaroo steaks again with BBQ courgettes, spicy pastes, rice, chicken and beef. She finished us off with chocolate brownies which are so amazing I think I'm addicted.
